Last week, the FBI apprehended a self-promoting social media scammer after the Moroccan national reportedly flaunted his extortion operations during a podcast interview that triggered the investigation.
Idriss Qibaa – formerly identified as “Dani” or “Unlocked” – was captured at his residence in Las Vegas and is now facing federal charges related to two felony counts filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nevada.
A criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital states that he allegedly breached interstate communication laws by issuing violent threats to two victims and their families via text messages.
“I was shocked to be in the presence of someone capable of such acts,” remarked Adam Grandmaison, host of the No Jumper podcast, to Fox News Digital. “It’s definitely more ominous than I ever anticipated.”
DOG OWNER ASSERTS PET ACCIDENTALLY INGESTED MARIJUANA DURING A WALK: ‘COULD HAVE DIED’
Idriss Qibaa is seen on Adam Grandmaison’s No Jumper podcast, where he claimed to earn $600,000 monthly from over 200 victims. (No Jumper)
Qibaa operated a website called Unlocked4Life.com, which remained active as of Monday. He offered to unlock social media accounts for clients but admitted that he was locking them out to blackmail victims into paying thousands for their access to be restored.
He also provided services to artificially boost views or followers for a fee, gather personal details on others for clients, and even arrange for other users to be banned at his customers’ request.
In his conversation with Grandmaison, Qibaa claimed to have “over 200 paying clients every month,” asserting he generates over $600,000, as referenced in the criminal complaint filed in Nevada’s district court.
When questioned on the podcast about why he would disclose his illicit business strategy publicly, Qibaa replied, “If they want to come and take my account, then that’s it. You can’t just eliminate someone like me. I’m like cockroaches.”
KANSAS RAID CONNECTED TO 98-YEAR-OLD’S DEMISE IN FIRST AMENDMENT CLASH TO LEAD TO CRIMINAL CHARGES
Adam Grandmaison, or Adam22, is seen with Idriss Qibaa during the January podcast that alerted authorities to his suspected criminal behavior. (No Jumper)
“I aimed to shed light on what’s happening. … No one had discussed it or done interviews about it. … I thought, why not?” Qibaa said during the January interview. “If they want to seize my account, let them try. You can’t just wipe someone like me out.”
The audacious hour-long interview upgraded the federal agents’ interests, as mentioned in the criminal complaint. Investigators reached out to numerous victims – including a realtor, dentists, a businessman, a journalist, and an influencer, according to the complaint – and soon discovered that the alleged extortionist exceeded merely hijacking their social media accounts.
Qibaa allegedly damaged victims’ property and brandished threats to harm or kill them and their relatives.
In one situation, according to the criminal complaint, Qibaa “threatened to shoot or injure [one victim’s] daughter, fiancé, dog, business associates, and their families.”
US MURDER FUGITIVE ‘EL DIABLO’ LOCATED WORKING AS MEXICAN POLICE OFFICER AFTER 20 YEARS
Adam Grandmaison, known as Adam22, is the host of the “No Jumper” hip-hop podcast. (Adam Grandmaison/No Jumper)
Another victim had her Instagram account taken over and was then told a California dentist, who had previously treated her last employer, had supposedly hired Qibaa.
She received more than 2,000 text messages from someone under the name “Unlocked” threatening to “blow up” her Social Security number unless she paid $20,000.
In another incident, Qibaa reportedly went to a victim’s residence, picked up a rock from the driveway, and smashed the windshields of a white Bentley and a white Mercedes-Benz, with the event captured on security footage.
Grandmaison expressed to Fox News Digital his relief that his interview with the alleged extortionist was “in any way useful in removing [Qibaa] from the streets.”
Having interviewed a wide range of individuals from the underground scene, including “hit men, serious drug traffickers, pimps, and prostitutes,” he noted Qibaa’s interview was particularly remarkable.
“Generally, discussions with rappers involved in illegal acts carry an unspoken awareness about what should remain undisclosed on camera,” the podcast host observed. “They usually communicate in a coded language if they attempt to touch on such subjects.
“But this individual astonished me by being seemingly open to discussing every detail of his operations. I found myself questioning, ‘Why would you want to reveal this?'”
“I was quite taken aback by how much he divulged,” he added.
Grandmaison mentioned that following the January interview, Qibaa began making threats against him as well.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“I had never experienced anything like this before my interactions with him,” said the host. “He threatened to expose my emails and claimed he could impair my vehicle while I was driving… all the threats he made were things that I recognized weren’t feasible.”
Although he wasn’t a U.S. citizen, Qibaa was living in the country legally, per the complaint against him.
“Qibaa has indicated on numerous occasions, through various channels, that if he experiences any law enforcement pressure or gets arrested and is able to post bail, he will escape back to Morocco and ‘live like a king,'” the FBI reported.
Attempts to reach Qibaa’s attorney for comments were unsuccessful.
